


Spread Your Wings, Butterfly of Miracles

by LizzyLovesPink



Series: Sagittarius Birthday One-Shots [1]
Category: Steins;Gate
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Bad Ending, Bad People Having Fluffy Feelings, Bittersweet, Canon Compliant, Canon Trans Character, Children of Characters, Dystopia, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Major Spoilers, One Shot, Sickfic, Time Travel, Title taken from a song, bathing together, birthday fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 07:09:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27347164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizzyLovesPink/pseuds/LizzyLovesPink
Summary: Six different world-lines. Six different girls. Six different ways his birthday could've gone in each world-line. On the surface, both Rintarou and his selected girl seem happy, but are they really?
Relationships: Amane Yuki/Hashida Itaru, Hashida Itaru/Shiina Mayuri(Implied), Kurushima Kaede/Urushibara Ruka(Implied), Okabe Rintarou | Hououin Kyouma/Makise Kurisu, Okabe Rintarou | Hououin Kyouma/Shiina Mayuri, Okabe Rintarou | Hououin Kyouma/Urushibara Ruka, Okabe Rintarou/Amane Suzuha, Okabe Rintarou/Faris Nyan-Nyan, Okabe Rintarou/Kiryuu Moeka
Series: Sagittarius Birthday One-Shots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1997080
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	Spread Your Wings, Butterfly of Miracles

In retrospect, the seventies weren't so bad of a place to be. Sure, the smog-filled, dirty brown sky and wet, garbage-strewn streets put a damper on the mood, the lingo and fashion were too loud and outdated to ever properly get a grasp on, and there was always the impending feeling of the timelines themselves constantly collapsing on each other, but all things considered, they weren't a bad place to be. Especially since he got to be here with Suzuha. 

Ever since she saved him from nearly going mad from a self-inflicted time-loop, they've been an unofficial couple of-sorts as they spend their days in the mid-seventies always on the search for an IBM-5100. Rintarou felt...wrong, in some way, for relying on the daughter of a close friend of his like this, but what other choice did he have? He was marooned in a foreign time and only had her familiar face. The timeline of the present was likely wrecked to an irreversible degree. They just had...each other. 

They hadn't made much progress in their quest to secure an IBM-5100, but they literally had all the time in the world. He was still a genius mad scientist and she was a loyal warrior of his. 

"Uncle Okarin!" Suzuha greeted him one morning after she returned from the store. She still wore her trademark blue jacket and black bicycle shorts; she was out-of-place in 1975 but many people just took her for an exercise junkie, which she was in a way, Rintarou supposed. 

"Coming into my lab unannounced like that? Do you have a death wish!?" He laughed at her, fully immersed in his alter-ego. They didn't have a lab, just a tiny apartment in the city that Rintarou paid for with the meager earnings he got from an office job. 

"But today is a special day!" She beamed and held out the small bag she got. "Haven't you checked the calendar?" 

He had not, in fact. All he knew was that it was sometime in winter, as the temperature had dropped gradually and snow was scheduled for six out of seven days according to the newspaper. 

"Enlighten me, Part-Time Warrior," 

Suzuha continued to smile as she pulled open the bag to reveal a collection of wagashi and a bottle of green tea with a tiny note. "Read it," She encouraged. 

Rintarou did so, scanning it and finding a simple birthday greeting. His birthday. It was his birthday....he would've been nineteen, but what did it matter? Having a birthday out of your old time was so surreal and felt very wrong. He also wouldn't have minded a cake or something baked before correcting his thoughts. Things weren't nearly as advanced in that area in 1975, so he supposed the wagashi would be good enough. 

"Happy Birthday, Uncle Okarin!" Suzuha gave him a smile and a big hug, making him falter a bit. She continued to smile at him. "Sorry I couldn't give you any presents though," 

"That's alright..." His alter-ego had been forgotten for the moment as he opened the bottle and took a drink. The flavour exploded in his mouth in a way it never had in his previous timeline. It was one thing he liked about the seventies; everything tasted different. More alive, more flavorful, more passionate, in a way. He supposed it was because people still made a lot of food naturally instead of relying on machines all of the time. Even though this tea was in a bottle and clearly marketed for supermarket sales, he could taste the tea leaves still that proved it was handmade with care before it hit the shelves. 

"I just got a selection of them, and I also thought, tea is safe to drink in every era, so...!" Suzuha explained. 

"You can have some," Rintarou gave her a few wagashi and started a bit as she sat beside him on the couch, resting her head on his shoulder and snuggling close. 

"You're very warm...let's stay like this forever," 

"At least turn on the radio," 

She grinned and turned the small radio on, adjusting the antenna until they heard some static-y rock music come through, then she sat down again. She rested her head on his shoulder and ate some of the wagashi, falling asleep soon afterwards. Rintarou looked down at her and smiled a bit at her cuteness. 

Yes, perhaps being marooned out of time had its perks. 

@@

There was little point in trying to escape from this world. The Gamma worldline, a world where everything was seemingly flipped; his enemies were his friends and his friends were his enemies. At first he really did try to escape to his own time, aided by none other than Kiryuu Moeka, but they failed when the information they were given turned out to be a false lead and Itaru made off with the time-machine prototype, no doubt keeping it away from him. Rintarou decided until he came up with a better plan, he'd just stay and see what he could further learn from a timeline he wasn't aware of before. 

He attended Mayuri's funeral in secret when she died, making sure he was in disguise and left as soon as possible; Kiryuu questioned him about it briefly when he returned home but didn't further press it. He kept tabs on his other friends in the meantime as well; Itaru and Yuki had started dating and Luka, a male in this timeline, had recently gotten engaged to one of Yuki's friends, Kaede. Last he checked, the time-machine was being protected by Luka and Kaede in a location he still wasn't aware of. Kurisu had moved back to America in the meantime, smuggling herself on a rebel helicopter not owned by the Rounders. And Faris...well, he wasn't sure what had happened to her, but something told him she was alright as well. 

Winter had recently arrived in Japan, sprinkling soft white flakes of snow everywhere. Rintarou would've found it pretty in another life, a younger life, but now it's just seen as a consequence of the changing seasons. He had far more important things to keep track of, such as how to convince Kaede to work as his maid in exchange for information on the prototype. She'd say yes to that, right? 

"Master," Kiryuu said softly as she entered the room. They lived in an expansive manor with high-tech gadgetry everywhere right in the middle of the city, fenced-off and heavily-guarded. "Kyouma-sama," 

"What is it?" Despite her nickname, he wasn't in the mood to adopt the alter-ego today. In reality, he felt as though in this world, he never would again. 

"I got something for you," She held out a small takeout box and Rintarou spun away from the computer he was sitting at to notice it was blank. "Food. I wanted to," She placed the box on the table and pulled out what was in it. Beef kebabs, fried vegetables, a big bottle of Mountain Dew, and a small box of chocolate-chip cookies. Rintarou took in more of the scene and noticed instead of her tight black Rounders uniform, Kiryuu had attempted to clean herself up in a pale yellow dress and black leggings with her hair down. 

"What's all this?" 

"Happy Birthday," If she were any other girl, she would've hugged him or at least held his hands, but she did nothing of the sort. Instead, she kneeled in front of the coffee table and took out her own serving, saying nothing. 

"Thank you," Rintarou said after a time, feeling awkward. She gave the smallest of smiles to him. They ate their kebabs together, Kiryuu trying her hardest to have some sort of conversation but eventually giving up and just eating. The Mountain Dew wasn't a bad taste but still not an acquired one, and he wanted to know why this timeline had this small tidbit about it but none of the other ones. Still, he did what he had to to make life seem normal. 

After the kebabs and vegetables, Rintarou took a cookie and ate it quickly before going back to work on the computer. Kiryuu left the food on the table and took a sip of Mountain Dew, standing behind him and watching him work. He didn't say or do anything and neither did she, just enjoyed each other's silence. 

This timeline was the strangest and most disconnected of the ones he had visited prior, but somehow he didn't think that was a bad thing. Sure, Mayuri was dead, Kurisu was contactless, Luka and Itaru had started their families and wanted nothing to do with him, and Faris was nowhere to be found, but somehow...Kiryuu being by his side, ready to kill anyone who even dared lay a finger on him....somehow, he felt that was enough. For this version of him at least. 

@@@

Faris had ordered him out of the cafe and to go halfway across town for a limited-edition ribbon she insisted she needed for one of Mayuri's new cosplays. Rintarou wasn't sure why Faris couldn't get it herself, but ultimately decided to humor her and took three buses until he located the silky emerald ribbon and got a few rows of it, heading back on the buses. 

Mayuri was still close friends with Faris and worked beside her, but despite his best attempts, their own relationship hadn't passed past acquaintances. She mainly liked to gush about how adorable Faris and Kyouma were together especially in cosplay. Itaru wasn't much better; once Rintarou caught sight of them holding hands once he tried to break the ice by asking if they were dating, but the conversation turned awkward so he bailed. It was a strange thought either way; Mayuri and Itaru. His two closest friends in nearly every timeline except this one. If his assumption was correct, they were also dating in this timeline, which made him curious. What happened to Yuki? Would Suzuha still be born, but with a different name and appearance, but still Suzuha all the same? 

Not spotting Faris anywhere at the cafe, he assumed she had gone home already. He silently slipped the ribbon to Mayuri and headed up to Faris' apartment, walking into a room of darkness. 

"What the-" 

"Kyouma! Surprise!" Faris suddenly jumped up behind him, covering his eyes. 

"Faris?!" 

"Surprise, surprise, nya!~" The lights turned on and she removed her hands from his eyes to reveal the room decorated elegantly in streamers and balloons in pastel colours and a giant banner spelling out 'Happy Birthday Okabe-kun!' "It's your birthday!" 

So it was. Faris must've asked him to get that ribbon purely so she could set up this party. 

"Is anyone invited?" 

"Nope! It'll be just us, isn't that romantic, nya?" She gave him a wink and stood in front of him, revealing her hair was taken down and flowed down her back. She wore a pearl headband instead with an elegant cerulean gown and opera gloves, far different from the usual princess-y cosplays she liked to do sometimes. 

"Not even your parents?" 

"They're still on a business trip. Look, Faris-chan got a cake! Open wide!" She pulled open a box on the table to reveal a pretty stereotypical birthday cake; white frosting and decorated with strawberries and a chocolate piece baring his name, as well as nineteen candles. She easily cut a small piece off and stabbed with with her fork. "Say aaaah!" 

Rintarou opened his mouth slowly and Faris stuck the piece in there. It was chocolate, just as he suspected. It wasn't a bad taste or anything at all. 

After he finished his piece, Faris insisted they toast with some champagne and have a sip even if it wasn't technically fully drunk. Afterwards, she slowly crawled towards him. 

"Can I give you one of your presents now?" She asked softly. Rintarou knew this wasn't Faris anymore but Rumiho. He simply nodded and she gently gave him a kiss that he returned. They weren't any strangers to physical contact, especially of the intimate sort, but Rintarou still felt awkward about it at times since he felt Rumiho was always comparing him to a Kyouma he never was and would never be, a Kyouma that existed only in her memories. Still, she never said anything about it. 

Rumiho gave him another gentle kiss before she slowly ran her fingers along his clothing, gently making her fingers walk along some of the buttons and seams before they stopped at his pants. Seemingly finding what she wanted, she got on her knees in front of him and gave him a special kind of birthday present. Afterwards, she laid on the couch beside him and snuggled up close. 

"You know...when you first said you lost your memories of us together, I was so afraid...I didn't know what I'd do with my life. I knew it'd be too hard to jog your memory properly, so I...let it go," She admitted. "But then we have moments like these that make me feel like everything has finally returned to normal," 

"Same here, Rumiho," He pulled her closer and felt her bury her face in his chest. It was the truth. He wasn't fully over the differences in comparison to his old world, he didn't think he'd ever fully be accustomed to them, but there were the small moments that made him not regret his decision. Moments like these only existed because he took that gamble and saved both Rumiho's father and Mayuri. Moments like these made everything else worth it. 

@@@@

"Nadeshiko-chan! Darling! Can you walk to Mommy?" Luka asked cheerfully, on her knees and clapping her hands for encouragement. Their daughter, Nadeshiko, had recently turned one and thus Luka spent almost all of her free-time helping her learn to walk. Nearby, Rintarou watched with a careful but fatherly gaze. 

"She's going to fall down again, Lukkako," He reminded her in a teasing tone. 

"Not if she keeps practicing," Luka turned her attention back to the baby and clapped her hands. Nadeshiko took a few unsteady, unsure steps, wobbling over to Luka and falling into her arms. "Good job! Mommy is so proud of you!" She smiled and picked Nadeshiko up, holding her close to her body. "Speaking of which....Kyouma-san...." She blushed suddenly and went inside the house, but Rintarou followed after her. 

They lived inside Luka's family's shrine in archaic but comfortable quarters. Rintarou worked as the shrine's official finance-manager while Luka was still the miko she always was, and she couldn't wait for Nadeshiko to get older so she could be trained in the miko ways as well. Over the couch in the living room was a portrait taken of Luka and Mayuri together in cosplay, smiling happily. Rintarou's heart still ached when he looked at that picture. He wasn't willing to sacrifice Luka's happiness, but Luka was also unable to live with the guilt of having caused such a tragedy, so they both decided to give Mayuri one last moment of happiness in her final hours. She died of a heart attack in this world-line and both Luka and Rintarou visited her grave as much as they could. He felt pained in other ways, that somehow what he was doing was wrong, but even if it was, what could he do? The time-machine was in the possession of someone unknown, if it even existed at all, and he had a family to take care of now. He shouldn't feel guilty at all. He chose to make Luka happy and happy she was, greatly so. 

"What's today?" Rintarou asked, finding Luka inside and watching Nadeshiko play with some large blocks. 

"Y-You know...it's...your birthday, and I feel terrible that I've been so busy with Nadeshiko-chan I never got a chance to do anything...I didn't bake anything, didn't get you any presents...." She trailed off, looking ready to cry. "I'm such a horrible wife..." 

"No you're not," Rintarou sat beside her and held her close in his arms. She instantly relaxed to his touch. "You were busy taking care of our child, that's not wrong at all," He held her hands carefully and she blushed even more; vibrant against her pale skin. "There's nothing that says we can't have a small celebration now," 

"You're right..okay! What would you like to eat?" 

"Taiyaki with chocolate in it," 

"Coming right up!" Luka ran into the kitchen to start making it, leaving Rintarou to watch Nadeshiko. She continued to stack up blocks in a concentrated state, seemingly in her zone. He thought she looked adorable in a pink blouse and flowery jeans with a flower barrette in her wavy, messy black hair, clearly inherited from him, but she also got her mother's beautiful violet eyes. He wondered if she'd favour him in personality as she grew up, or be more fair and delicate like her mother. 

Last he heard, Itaru and Yuki had started dating, though it started out from a place of comfort, as Yuki was a close friend of Mayuri's who was devastated by her death. There were still six years left before Suzuha's predicted birthday, so he just had to hope everything worked themselves out by then. He hadn't seen Itaru in a long time and didn't want to see him purely out of fear of an awkward conversation. What could they even say to each other now? Mayuri had also mentioned a few other cosplayer friends, but he didn't know their names nor their current whereabouts, so he saw little need in trying to contact them again. 

Nadeshiko accidentally knocked one of her block towers over and froze, her concentration broken as she just stared bewildered at what happened. She then began to cry and Rintarou swooped in instantly, holding her in his arms and gently bouncing her. 

"Daddy?" She asked, hiccuping. He nodded. 

"That's right, it's your dad, Nadeshiko-chan," 

The toddler cheered up slightly just as Luka came out of the kitchen, holding a small tray filled with steaming fish shapes. She set it down on the table and also brought out a tea tray and started pouring it. 

"That was quick," Rintarou said in surprise. 

"I found some in the fridge, I think Oneechan left them there.." Luka explained in embarrassment. "From a college party probably...I just heated them up and put fresh chocolate inside. I-I made the tea by hand though! J-Just now!" 

"It looks wonderful," He carefully placed Nadeshiko in her flowery high-chair and gave Luka a kiss which she returned. She then cut up a smaller taiyaki and gave it to Nadeshiko, then kneeled at her own table. "Thank you for this, Lukkako," He said sincerely, making her blush heavily. 

"Y-You're welcome...O-Okabe-san...." She stared down at her hands. "H-Happy Birthday..." 

After they gave thanks, they started eating. The taiyaki had the slight rubbery texture of anything that had been chilled then reheated, but the chocolate was fresh and tasted exquisite. The tea as well was delicately brewed and tasted faintly of the black leaves used to make it. 

"I-Is it good?" She asked shyly. 

"It's wonderful," 

Luka just smiled warmly and continued to drink her tea. Nadeshiko kicked her legs in her highchair and Rintarou gently picked her back up again, moving away slightly since she had chocolate on her hands and mouth. 

"Daddy! Daddy!" She cheered. 

"Time for a bath," He then looked over at Luka. "What do you say, family bathtime? It could be my present from you to me," 

She blushed even more at that and nodded, hanging her head and letting her black hair fall into her face. Despite being a mother, she still wore it in the same style she always had; a bob with the skull hair clip. "J-Just let me clean this stuff up," 

Rintarou nodded and headed into the bathroom, getting a steaming hot tub of water ready. By the time it was, Luka had shyly wandered in and got their daughter undressed and undressed herself, slipping in. She made sure to keep an eye on Nadeshiko, who liked to rambunctiously splash and play around in the tub, wriggling around. Rintarou stared at Luka's body through the transparent water; she was still thin but had slightly filled-out hips and breasts from her motherhood. He wasn't ashamed of such an intimate sight; they had Nadeshiko, did they not? 

"S-Stop!" Luka gasped suddenly, getting splashed wildly by the toddler in question. 

"Mommy wet! Mommy wet!" Nadeshiko cheered in triumph as the water dripped down her face and hair. Luka just sighed. Rintarou always wondered why they settled on such a name when their daughter was proving every day that she was anything but gentle, obedient, and shy. He was the one who had named her, seeing her tiny body bundled up warmly in soft yellow blankets, clutched closely to Luka's chest. The pregnancy and resulting childbirth were hard on her fragile body so she slept for nearly the entire week afterwards, only being roused to nurse her. Nadeshiko was a very calm and respectful baby, letting her mother rest, so Rintarou was proud of himself for thinking up such a name. 

After the family's bathtime, Luka put a worn-out Nadeshiko to bed in her crib and got dressed in a soft white nightgown, joining Rintarou to watch some television. She rested her head on his lap and let him play with her loose hair, closing her eyes. 

Rintarou took another glance at the portrait above them and Mayuri's smiling, hopeful face. 

Maybe he'd just stop thinking about it. 

@@@@@

"Okarin!" Mayuri cheered happily when he arrived at the lab that day. "Mayushii was waiting for you!" 

"Why?" He asked in surprise. He expected her to be at school still, especially since her uniform was still on; heavy layers to keep her safe from the cold winter. He shivered a bit involuntarily; from the cold weather, he figured, despite being bundled-up quite well himself. 

"It's a surprise! Close your eyes, okay?" She stood up and closed her own eyes. "Okarin doesn't want to ruin the surprise, does he?" 

"No, I suppose not," He chuckled a bit to himself, wondering if the reason she was so bundled up was because the heater was broken. He felt cold suddenly. 

"Mayushii was up all night making this! Okay, open your eyes!" He felt something being laid into his hands and slowly opened his eyes, staring at a fresh white lab coat and black suit pants. "Does Okarin like them?" 

"Of course," He smiled kindly at Mayuri. "You're a good friend, making this for me," He gently placed the clothing on the couch, catching her pout. "What?" 

"Okarin...we're dating. You don't have to keep calling Mayushii just your friend, you know?" 

"Right. Force of habit," He corrected himself. He needed to be more careful about stuff like that, even though in this universe, he instigated their romantic relationship. Naturally, Mayuri had agreed. It still felt wrong on some level which was why it was taking him so long to get accustomed to it. He felt weak suddenly and sat on the couch, sighing heavily. Now he just felt too hot. 

"Okarin?" Mayuri asked instantly. "Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine," He tried to wave off her concern. "Where's Daru?" 

"Out on a date!" She giggled a bit. "With Yuki-chan!" 

"Ah, right," He held his head, sighing again. 

"Something's wrong," Without waiting, Mayuri leaned closer to him and placed her hands on his head, making him jolt from how icy her hands felt. She gasped in surprise. "Okarin's burning up!" 

"I am?" He asked, blinking a few times. 

"You must have a bad flu. Don't worry! Mayushii will take good care of you!" She removed the clothing from the couch and helped Rintarou lay down, wrapping him up in a simple blanket. At that point, the sickness started to take hold on him, making him wince and groan as a splitting headache appeared, making his eyes throb. He closed them and listened to Mayuri pattering around on the floor; it sounded distant and close all at once. 

Just his luck, somehow falling ill on his birthday. Still, he supposed worse things could happen on his birthday. At least he had Mayuri, his trusted girlfriend, to take care of him. And....maybe...in another timeline...

_"You got yourself sick? You must've been working yourself too hard. I heard idiots don't even get sick!"_

Even now, her voice was clear as day in his memory. 

"Yes? Daru! Don't come over today! Okarin is sick and Mayushii is going to take care of him! She doesn't want you to get sick too!" She was saying into her phone before hanging up. Okabe shivered under his blanket, keeping his eyes closed. Mayuri gently sat beside him, carefully placing his head in her lap and running her fingers through his hair. "Don't worry Okarin, Mayushii will take care of you," She reassured him. 

"Thank you...Mayuri," He managed weakly, grimacing. She shushed him and kept running her fingers through his hair lovingly. He involuntarily leaned into her touch, being reminded of the terrible fever he suffered through as a child and his parents trying to help him through it. Rintarou wondered suddenly if this was similar, some kind of late punishment for trying to save the world-line the way he did, and tried to push it aside. There was nothing for it anymore. He made his choice and he was satisfied with it, even if....

"In Mayushii's dreams, I wonder what God would say about this. Would they give her advice on how to care for Okarin?" Mayuri said, gently lying his head back down and silently leaving. He grimaced again, both from pain and from her words. The God she spoke of...was Kurisu. He could never tell Mayuri that though, that in order for her to live he sacrificed another dear friend of theirs. Even if Kurisu was fine with it...even if Mayuri was fine with it...it still didn't make it right. 

He fell asleep and was consumed by the darkness for who knew how long. Barely-lucid nightmares plagued him as he slept, as well as nonsensical fever dreams. The next time his eyes were opened, he caught caught of Mayuri with a homemade lacy blue apron on over her uniform and cheerfully holding out a bowl of soup. 

"Okarin! Did you sleep well?" She asked cheerfully but at a low volume. He managed to slowly nod. "Mayushii is so happy to hear that! Look, she made soup for you! Open up!" She scooped some of it up onto the spoon and gently lifted it to Rintarou's lips, and he sipped at it slowly. Mayuri smiled in approval and gave him a few more sips. "You're doing so well!" 

"Mayuri..." He reached out and grabbed her hand, startling her and making her blush. "I'm sorry....I know you probably planned a huge party with Daru and probably Amane-san too....and then I got sick and ruined it," 

Mayuri simply continued to smile. "It's not your fault Okarin. Mayushii doesn't mind taking care of you! It's what a girlfriend would do!" She gave him some more sips of soup. 

"Right...." Rintarou resigned himself to his fate, being fed soup continuously for the next few minutes. It wasn't bad; just typical chicken stuff from a can, but it was served in a cutesy pink bowl he knew from experience belonged to her. She made the serving with love. She really wanted him to get better. 

After the feeding was over, she put the bowl and spoon away and carefully tucked him back in, still smiling. "Mayushii will wait right here by your side. Let her know if you need anything, okay?" 

Rintarou nodded and quickly fell back asleep, feeling lulled by the warm soup in his system. Mayuri got on her knees and rested her head on the couch, watching him carefully. She hummed a bit and played with his hair, finally feeling sleepy herself and curling up beside him. 

When Itaru and Yuki finally returned from their date, they smiled at the sight on the couch before them and left the two lovers alone, keeping to themselves. 

And the very next week when Mayuri came down with her own flu and it was Rintarou's turn to care for her, he found he didn't mind it at all. Really, the only thing that made him pause was Mayuri asking in a feverish tone if 'God' was helping him, for she could see flashes of vibrant hair. 

"No...God won't be here for a long time," He answered sadly, tucking her into bed. 

No, God wouldn't come back ever again. 

@@@@@@

As expected, Rintarou was nearly ambushed as he walked into that lab that afternoon by a cheerful and excited Itaru and Mayuri, who were grinning widely. 

"My birthday, is it?" He smirked back, making them nod eagerly. 

"We were hoping it'd be more of a surprise," Itaru commented. 

"You can't ambush me like that and expect me to just shrug it off," Rintarou said back, walking further into the lab. "Let's see what we've got here!" 

A small display was set up on the coffee table; a strawberry cake small enough to feed four people, a bottle of Dr. Pepper, and an order of chicken nuggets. He smiled at the mismatched food; it was a perfect display of Mayuri and Itaru and their mindfulness at times. 

"Well, let's eat!" He said, making Mayuri and Itaru cheer. 

"Wait, we can't eat until you at least blow out your candles," Itaru started lighting a few on the cake. 

"Aren't we too old for stuff like that?" After all, Rintarou himself was nineteen years old. 

"Awww, Okarin! Live a little!" Mayuri pouted in response, making him chuckle. 

"Alright, alright...I will humor you both just this once!" He got on his knees and pretended to consider before blowing them all out easily. Itaru and Mayuri clapped politely before Itaru began cutting the cake. Everyone got evenly-sized slices, making Rintarou stare at the remaining slice. "Who is that piece for?" He asked mindlessly. 

"Oh, it's just an extra piece. No need to get all confused about it, Okarin. They always sell small cakes with four pieces," Itaru shrugged. 

"Yeah...maybe Mayushii can give it to Luka-kun later!" Mayuri smiled. 

Rintarou continued to stare at it anyway, having the sudden image of a certain girl stabbing her fork into it, saying something about how it was unhealthy and pure sugar and how she only attended the party for Mayuri. 

In fact...

There were four plates of nuggets, four cups of Dr. Pepper. He thought of that girl again, drinking her Dr. Pepper and praising how good it was before getting flustered. 

_"I can't help it if it tastes good!"_

His face heated up beside himself and he tried to look away before someone saw, Mayuri did and gasped. 

"Okarin! Are you thinking of someone you love?" She asked in a slight teasing way. "Who is it?" 

"Yeah, enlighten us," Itaru also coaxed. 

Rintarou bit his lip, thinking about her again. How had only a year passed since then? In fact...it felt both longer and shorter than that. He didn't want to start crying again, especially not at his birthday party, but he couldn't help it. Kurisu was his love, if she was there, she would've been his girlfriend, they would've all been celebrating together, four LabMems perfectly happy, but she wasn't. 

He looked over at Mayuri, still wide-eyed and awaiting his answer. 

He did that for her....all for her....so she could live. 

"Some girl in my college class," Rintarou finally answered. "Neither of you would know her, she's in physics, but....she is beautiful. Reddish-brown hair. Doesn't like it when she gets flustered. Doesn't even really like me, but...she's intelligent and helpful. I wanted to invite her here, but....something came up," 

"Oooooh, Okarin's got himself a girlfriend!" Itaru teased. 

"Mayushii wants to meet her!" Mayuri nodded in agreement. "Can Okarin bring her around sometime soon? Mayushii wants to make cosplay for her!" 

"Maybe one day," Rintarou said, eating more of his cake. "She would argue with Daru over his anime, but she'd love you, Mayuri. You two would be the best of friends..." His voice nearly broke but he managed to swallow it down and stop talking. Not on his birthday. Not on today of all days. 

He was surprised by a sudden hand on his leg and looked over at Mayuri, giving him a small smile. 

"She sounds special to Okarin," 

"Yeah. Yeah, she really was," Rintarou allowed himself to nod and spared a thought for Kurisu, lost in another time-line with no way or will to return to the one everyone else inhabited. The one where he inhabited. The one where they could've been happy together. 

Time could be so cruel sometimes.


End file.
